Dispensing device



Nov. 18, 1969 R. G. BROOKS 3,478,935

DI SPENS ING DEVICE Filed Feb, 16, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll INVENTOR.

BY gwA/ Nov. 18, 1969 R. cs. BROOKS 3,478,935

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Feb. 16, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet z PA GBQooK;

INVEATI'OR ORNEY United States Patent 3,478,935 DISPENSING DEVICE Ray G. Brooks, Irving, Tex., assignor to Texize Chemicals, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 16, 1968, Ser. No. 706,138 Int. Cl. G015? 11/06 U.S. Cl. 222-321 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a device for activating vertical plunger-type pumps for dispensing liquids from hand-held containers a hinged trigger for converting trigger squeezing motion to vertical motion, has an operating portion extending forwardly of the dispensing orifice of the container pump, and is hinged to the closure assembly of the container at a side thereof remote from said orifice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to devices for activating vertically disposed plunger-type pumps commonly utilized for dispensing liquids from hand-held containers. More particularly, it relates to a trigger device which is hingeably attached to a base member secured to the container and disposed over the head of the pump so that pulling the trigger causes depression of the pump head.

Plunger-type pumps vertically disposed within a container and secured to the neck thereof are well known and have long been used to dispense liquids from containers. Such pumps may have a spray nozzle for atomizing the liquid as delivered at the pumphead, or may simply deliver a measured quantity of liquid in a fine stream. Pumps of this nature are commonly used on containers of cleaning solutions and the like, whereby the user obtains a measured quantity of solution from the container by grasping the container with the hand and depressing the pumphead with the index finger.

While such pumps are well known and have become accepted by the public, certain disadvantages have been recognized. For example, highly viscous liquids are quite difficult to pump through such devices; not because of any deficiency of the pump, but due to the difficulty of the operator to depress the pumphead with the index finger while holding the container with the same hand. It is therefore one of the main objects of this invention to provide a device which gives the operator a mechanical advantage in depressing the plunger. Another object is to provide an inexpensive device which may be easily and comfortably used to dispense liquids from heavy or otherwise unmanageable containers. A further object is to provide a simple device for converting trigger-squeezing motion to vertical motion for actuating such pumps, and one which is comfortable to the hand and which may be conveniently used for all types of liquids and for long periods of operation without undue tiring of the operator.

A particular advantage of the device of this invention is that it may be simply an inexpensively constructed and secured to the container and used with any of the ordinary plunger-type pumps now in use. Furthermore, no change is required in the pump to adapt the device of this invention for use therewith, and the device may be removed, if desired, and the pump operated in the normal manner. Furthermore, the device may be designed for installation at the same time the pump is installed, and produced in compact form so as not to conflict with packaging and shipping procedures.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended claims and attached drawings.

Patented Nov. 18, 1969 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the invention attached to a container with a plunger type spray pump;

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the device of FIGURE 4 taken along line 22;

FIGURE 4 is a partial fragmentary view of a portion of FIGURE 3 showing an alternative method of hinging the trigger of the device;

FIGURE 5 is a partial fragmentary view of the device of the invention showing the attachment means incorporated as part of the threaded cap holding the spray pump; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in combination with a container designed to be comfortably held by the operator.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGURES 16. The device of FIGURES l-3 comprises a single piece of plastic construction with a top member 30 and bottom member 33, hinged together by a continuous thin portion 39 of the construction material. There is also provided a cam 35 which rests directly on top of a pumphead 10 with an inclined, laterally dished top surface 10c, a trigger 31, a finger rest 37 and an upward travel limit stop 32 incorporated in top member 30. The pumphead 10 has a dispensing orifice 1% arranged conventionally to expel sprayed material from the container in a given direction upon each down stroke of the pumphead. The device is firmly secured to cap 11 by means of press-fitting cylinder 33a which is formed as an integral part of the bottom member 33 of the device. In this embodiment the container 40 and the bottom member 33 of the dispensing device form a grip handle which may be comfortably held in the hand. The bottom portion 33 extends upwardly and rearwardly to provide a support for conveniently and firmly holding the container in the grasp of the operator. The top portion 30 of the device is hingeably attached to the bottom member 33 to pivot at hinge 39 and extends downwardly and forwardly over the top of the container. The top member 30 is provided with a central aperture through which the pumphead 10 extends. On the forward end of the top member 30 are provided a trigger member 31 and rest member 37. The pump assembly includes a depending stem 42 which extends into the container 40.

Extending upwardly and forwardly from the hinged end of the top member 30 is a pump contacting finger 35. Finger 35 is positioned over the central aperture in member 30 and adapted to contact the top of pumphead 10. Extending inwardly from the sides of the central aperture is provided a flange 32 which is adapted to engage the under side of flange 14 on the top of pumphead 10. Flange 32 provides an upper stop limit to keep the trigger portion 31 below the path of liquid dispensed from the pumphead 10 and to keep the spray nozzle properly oriented in the forward direction.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the invention apparatus provides a dispensing means for use in combination with a liquid spray container 40 which includes a pump assembly consisting of the container cap 11, the pumphead 10 with orifice 10b therein, stem 42, and spring means 12 constantly urging the head 10 to its upper limit position. Force applied to the top surface of the pump expels liquid from the container in a spray or stream, depending on the configuration of the orifice and the material being dispensed. The device of this invention, comprising the bottom member 33 and top member includes the curved, rearwardly and upwardly extending portion of the bottom member 33, hinged at 39 to the rear side of the top member, and having an arm projecting upwardly from said side carrying the finger which is in constant contact with the surface 10c of the pumphead. At the front side of the top member 30, the trigger 31 is positioned, and the flange means 32 prevents movement of the trigger into any possible path of the expelled material.

The device is operated by grasping the neck of container in the palm of the hand with the bottom member 33 of the dispensing device extending over the hand between the thumb and forefinger. One or more fingers are placed on the trigger 31. By squeezing the trigger downwardly and rearwardly toward the neck of container 40, finger 35 is pressed down against the pumphead 10, thus forcing liquid out the nozzle. Spring 12 within the pump biases the pumphead upwardly, thus returning the pump and dispensing device to the original position when trigger 31 is released. It should be noted that top member 30 may be appropriately designed to provide leverage so that a mechanical advantage is supplied. Furthermore, trigger 31 may be extended so that all four fingers of the operator may grasp it, thus allowing the operator to exert much more pressure against the pump with less effort than ordinarily required.

Since the dispensing device of this invention may conveniently be designed to multiply the force exerted on the pumphead, larger diameter pumps may be used to deliver larger amounts of liquid with each pumping stroke.

Also, pumps may be designed which require very small vertical travel but which produce streams or sprays under increased pressure, thus increasing both volume and throw of the ejected spray with less effort by the operator.

It should be noted that in the above-described embodiment, the dispensing device is of unitary construction, preferably formed by injection molding of suitable plastic materials. The two members are hingeably attached by means of a weakened portion 39 which flexes to provide a hinge. Alternatively, the device may be fabricated from suitable metals or other materials.

One method of attaching the device to the container is shown in FIGURE 3. Attaching means 33a, forming the base portion of bottom member 33, is a cylindrical body adapted to fit snugly over cap 11. Preferably attaching means 33a. is formed of pliable material with an annular lip 36 around the bottom thereof. Pump 42 ex tends through the cylinder base and the base 33a pressed over the cap 11 so that lip 36 is secured below the rim of cap 11. Cap 11 may be provided with an indexing groove in which tongue 42 rests to prevent undesired rotation of the dispensing device about the cap 11.

Alternatively, cap 11 and cylindrical base portion 33a may be formed as an integral unitary part, with pump 10 having a flange which rests on the top of the container and is secured thereto by the base 33a as shown in FIGURE 5.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGURE 4. The embodiment of FIGURE 6 is basically the same as that described above with reference to FIGURES 1-3 but is not of unitary construction. The device comprises two members 30 and 33 hingeably attached by means of a pin 34 passing through one end of each member about which the top member 30 pivots.

FIGURE 6 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention in combination with a container adapted to best utilize the advantages of the invention. The container 10 has a narrowed neck portion 41 with a lip 40 about the top thereof. The narrowed portion 41 should be of a size and shape to be conveniently grasped by the operator, with lip 40 and base portion 33 providing means for preventing the combination from slipping through the operators hand.

From the foregoing it will be recognized that the pistol grip arrangement of the dispensing device of this invention provides unique advantages which are not obtainable in the prior art dispensing devices. Furthermore, the device can be adapted to fit existing vertical dispenser pumps or may be adapted to operate jointly with improved pumps more conveniently and with less effort than heretofore possible.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination, with a liquid spray container which includes a pump assembly comprising a container cap, and a pumphead with a dispensing orifice therein projecting upwardly through the cap and being spring biased normally to an upper limit position, of a dispensing device comprising:

a bottom member, including a cylinder having a body frictionally engaged with said container cap and having an opening therein through which said pumphead extends;

the cylinder having a bottom with an inwardly extending, annular lip thereon depending beneath the container cap;

the bottom member including a grip portion having a side portion curved upwardly and outwardly from the container;

a top member, having opposite forward and rear sides, and being hingedly connected at said rear side to the side portion of the grip portion;

the top member, intermediate its ends, having a cut out formed therein through which the pumphead extends;

an arm extending upwardly from the rear side of the top member over said cut out and carrying a cam on its distal extremity, the cam being in contact with said pumphead;

flange means on said arm contacting the pumphead and providing an upper stop limit on movement of the top member; and

a trigger depending from the front side of the top member adapted to be contacted by a finger of an operator, whereby inward pressure applied to the trigger is translated to vertical motion exerted through said cam against the top surface of the cap resulting in movement of the pumphead against the action of said spring bias.

2. The combination, with a liquid spray container which includes a pump assembly comprising a container cap, and a pumphead with a dispensing orifice therein projecting upwardly through the cap and being spring biased normally to an upper limit position, of a dispensing device comprising:

a bottom member, including a cylinder having a body frictionally engaged with said container cap and having an opening therein through which said pumphead extends;

the bottom member including a grip portion having a side portion curved upwardly and outwardly from the container;

a top member, having opposite forward and rear sides, and being hingedly connected at said rear side to the side portion of the grip portion;

the top member, intermediate its ends, having a cut out formed therein through which the pumphead extends;

an arm extending upwardly from the rear side of the top member over said out out and carrying a cam on its distal extremity, .the cam being in contact with said pumphead; and

a trigger depending from the front side of the top member adapted to be contacted by a finger of an operator, whereby inward pressure applied to the trigger is translated to vertical motion exerted through said cam against the top surface of the cap resulting in movement of the pumphead against the action of said spring bias.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 52%? 4/1952 Anderson 222 3s5 X 5651450 11/1954 Trout 222 3s5 X 5 8/1957 Altman et a1 222 3s5 X 1/1959 Schott 222 402.15 X 11/1960 Kutik 222-40215 X 10/1962 Tyler 222 ss3 X 3/1966 Daragan et a1 222-145 X 10 222341 6 FOREIGN PATENTS 11/ 1934 Australia. 10/ 1930 Germany. 11/ 1923 France.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner N. L. STACK, JR., Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

